Discovering illegal behavior in the workplace can be alarming and leave an employee feeling lost as to what should be done, especially when the behavior is being done by someone in management or higher. Whistleblowing is the act of reporting illegal or dishonest activities that are taking place within an organization while protecting yourself from retaliation.
When most people think of a whistleblower, they tend to think of federal or governmental employees and departments. However, whistleblowing can take place in companies of any size or type. There are various statutes enforced by OSHA, each with anti-retaliation provisions protecting the employee’s rights. Whistleblowers are granted protection from workplace retaliation such as:
- Being fired or laid off
- Blacklisting
- Demotion
- Denied overtime or promotion
- Discipline
- Denial of Benefits
- Failure to hire or rehire
- Intimidation or harassment
- Threats
- Reassignment affecting prospects for promotion
- Reduction in pay or hours
How Does Whistleblowing Affect Your Employees?
It is important for employees to know that they have a place to turn to in order to report illegal happenings within their companies without being reprimanded or fired. Although whistleblowing can happen internally or externally, most whistleblowers do so internally. Companies with confidential, internal hotlines for purposes such as this can create a secure place for employees to turn to, which in turn helps your organization remain a safe and honest place to work.
HSD Metrics can customize exit interviews to raise awareness of unethical or illegal matters that are in violation of the law or your company’s ethical standards. This provides exiting employees an anonymous place to “blow their whistle,” so to speak, should they need to report any sort of illegal or alarming activity.
Your company will receive an instant notification from our ExitRight® programs when an employee describes an unethical, illegal, or unsafe act. This adds another outlet for surfacing such issues and allows for quick problem solving on the matter.
For more information about our various organizational surveys and how they can work for your company, and to schedule your live demo, contact us today.